A generic damping valve for a vibration damper is known from DE 10 2010 062 324 A1.
A generic damping valve for a vibration damper generally comprises a damping valve body having at least one throughflow orifice for the damping medium and at least one valve disk adapted to the damping valve body. The valve disk at least partially closes the throughflow orifices in the damping valve body by the action of a closing force.
A damping medium flows through the damping valve. The damping medium flows through the throughflow orifices in the damping valve body and presses in opening direction against the valve disk adapted to the damping valve body. If the pressing force of the damping medium exceeds the closing force of the valve disk, the valve disk lifts up from the damping valve body and releases the flow of damping medium through the damping valve.
With a decrease in the pressure of the damping medium, the valve disk which is acted upon by the closing force immediately closes again and at least partially covers the throughflow orifices in the damping valve body.
The immediate closing of the valve disk causes knocking noises which are objectionable. A spring body acting in opening direction, e.g., a star spring, arranged between the valve disk and the damping valve body may be used, for example, to prevent a sudden closing.
The additional star-shaped spring element or spring body complicates the arrangement of flow paths because the ends of the spring connect radially to a central ring.
A damping valve known from DE 10 2006 031 179 B3 has control edges on which the valve disks rest, these control edges being made from an elastomeric material. The control edges are deformed when the damping valve is closed and spring back into their original shape again when the damping valve opens.
The advantage of this solution consists in that the flow paths can run in the same way as in a conventional damping valve. However, a serious disadvantage consists in that leakiness occurs when the control edges become worn, which can cause massive changes in the damping force characteristic and result in total failure of the vibration damper. Further, the spring rate depends on the control edge geometry.
It is thus an object of this invention to provide a damping valve in which at least a reduction in knocking noises is achieved while avoiding the disadvantages known from the prior art.